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President Museveni has urged Ugandans recently repatriated from South Africa to abandon the belief that prosperity can only be found abroad, challenging them to harness the country’s economic opportunities as they rebuild their lives.
Speaking at the pass-out ceremony of 1,030 returnees at the National Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi on Sunday, Museveni also announced Shs2 billion to support their reintegration, in addition to Shs2 million for each household head to facilitate transport back to their home districts.
The returnees spent 15 days at NALI undergoing rehabilitation, counselling and ideological orientation under a programme coordinated by the National Secretariat for Patriotism Corps (NSPC) after being evacuated from South Africa following violent xenophobic attacks targeting foreign African nationals.
“I welcome you from danger, and I thank God that you have returned safely,” Museveni said. “I also condole with the families who lost their loved ones during the attacks.”
Invoking the Luganda proverb “Nantabuuliririrwa yasaabala gwa bbumba,” the President questioned why many Ugandans continue to leave a resource-rich country in search of uncertain opportunities abroad.
“Why would Ugandans leave such a beautiful country to go roaming around looking for jobs elsewhere?” he asked.
Museveni said Uganda offers vast opportunities in commercial agriculture, manufacturing, services, artisan work and the digital economy, arguing that wealth creation is achievable through productive investment at home.
He cited the example of Richard Nyakana of Fort Portal, who earns more than Shs200 million annually from intensive dairy and poultry farming on 1.2 acres while employing between 12 and 15 workers.
“If all Uganda’s 40 million acres of arable land were utilised as efficiently as Nyakana’s farm, the country could create about 150 million jobs,” he said.
The President also highlighted Johnson Basangwa of Kamuli District, whose commercial poultry enterprise reportedly earns nearly Shs20 million daily from egg sales, and Vicky Apio of Lira District, who transformed Shs907,000 received under the Parish Development Model (PDM) into a successful farming business.
“I feel pity for many of you because some people deceive you with promises of jobs abroad, yet they are misleading you,” Museveni said.
He said Uganda is increasingly producing goods it previously imported and stressed that the country’s future lies in industrialisation, value addition and modern agriculture.
Museveni also revealed that he had raised the issue of the xenophobic attacks with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
“I told President Ramaphosa that what is happening is dangerous for Africa,” he said.
According to Museveni, Ramaphosa attributed the attacks to opponents of South Africa’s governing African National Congress (ANC).
The President urged his South African counterpart to decisively address xenophobia, warning that retaliation by African countries against one another would undermine continental unity.
He also appealed to Ugandans not to direct their anger at South Africans living or investing in Uganda.
To support the returnees’ fresh start, Museveni announced Shs2 billion for the group and encouraged beneficiaries to complement the assistance with existing government programmes such as the Parish Development Model and Emyooga.
He further directed the returnees to document businesses and property they lost during the attacks to enable government to assess possible interventions.
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja described the evacuation as one of Uganda’s largest humanitarian interventions involving citizens abroad.
She said Uganda Airlines repatriated all 1,030 citizens free of charge.
“The government remains committed to protecting Ugandans wherever they may be,” Nabbanja said.
She added that another 525 Ugandans stranded in Cambodia had appealed to government for assistance to return home.
Acting State Minister for Foreign Affairs Haruna Kyeyune Kasolo said Uganda had initiated diplomatic engagement with South Africa to establish the extent of losses suffered by Ugandan businesses during the attacks.
He confirmed that three Ugandans were killed in the violence and thanked Museveni for contributing Shs10 million to each bereaved family.
Kasolo said the Ugandan High Commission in Pretoria had registered more than 600 Ugandans who remained in South Africa and called for tighter regulation of labour externalisation agencies, arguing that many exploited Ugandans had travelled through recruitment companies.
National Secretariat for Patriotism Corps Commissioner Hellen Seku said the rehabilitation programme was designed to restore hope, confidence and patriotism among traumatised returnees.
She said NALI received 738 adults and 292 children. Four adults and six children required specialised treatment and were referred to Mulago National Referral Hospital.
Given the high number of children, organisers established a temporary nursery school at the training centre to care for more than 290 children while their parents attended lectures.
“These people arrived traumatised. The peaceful environment at NALI allowed them to reflect, heal and begin planning productive lives back home,” Seku said.
She added that government agencies used the programme to deliver essential public services, with mobile teams from the National Identification and Registration Authority issuing national identity cards to 650 adults and National Identification Numbers to 239 children.
Participants also renewed driving permits, registered businesses through the Uganda Registration Services Bureau and received medical screening, alongside training in patriotism, leadership, agriculture, wealth creation, health, security and government development programmes.
NALI Director Col. Okei Rukogota credited the programme’s success to collaboration between State House, the Office of the Prime Minister, the National Secretariat for Patriotism Corps and other government agencies.
Speaking on behalf of the returnees, Felix Mugabi thanked the government for rescuing them and said the programme had transformed their outlook.
“Many of us left believing success could only be found abroad. Today, we have discovered that Uganda offers enormous opportunities if we embrace hard work and government programmes,” he said.
Mugabi said the group included skilled professionals in automotive engineering, construction, carpentry, tailoring, metal fabrication, leather works, information technology and real estate, and appealed for financial support to help them rebuild their livelihoods.
, https://nilepost.co.ug/news/357579/museveni-urges-south-africa-returnees-to-build-wealth-at-home-announces-shs2-billion-support
